Author
Topic: What if Im wrong? (Read 4754 times)

NinjaWizards777

I've been asked various questions as of late but most of them boiling down to,What if you're wrong and eternal torment is true?

There are various aspects in the answer to this, and I would be lying if I said this wasn't an uncomfortable question. But I think the first thing to say about that, is that I cannot base my beliefs on "what if's". By that same logic, just about anything could be true or untrue. For example one could say,

* What if God does not exist? * What if Christianity isn't true, and Islam is? * What if life is really a complex computer program, and humanity is unknowingly enslaved by octopus-like robots? * What if there's tiny green aliens that live inside my body, where they have nightly disco parties?(that could explain my difficulties in sleeping, lol)

Questioning things, as I've said before, can be very healthy. And I wouldn't be where I am today had I not done that. But spending time living in constant fear of what I don't know and not making a conclusion simply because I cant PROVE anything, seems to be a ridiculous way to live life. It makes much more sense to me to base my beliefs off of the evidence I have been given...rather than that which I have not.

The next thing is, is that the perspective I hold now (that God loves all and will save all), has had a positive impact on my own life in numerous ways. One being that I feel closer to God and feel free to love him, without some ever passing fear that hes angry at me and is going to incinerate my loved ones. More over than that, I think if ones perspective is that,God eventually gives up on most people and will torture them forever, if they don't accept the right beliefs...then your attitude towards people will likely be as short-lived and conditional. No matter how much and how long you want to "save the masses from brimstone" it always wears on you to a point that you just sort of shrug your shoulders and fall back into a state of apathy, that can only be (momentarily) cured by a preacher's terror tactics. Hence most of Christian culture today seems surprisingly unconcerned by the overall destiny of mankind, that is supposedly marching their merry way into the devils human cauldron.I know this firsthand, because such perspective is what brought about the breakdown in my own faith. But if your perspective is like mine, that,God never gives up on people and loves them unconditionally no matter their beliefsthen your attitude towards fellow humanity will be of the same, ever-loving, persevering vein.

Now if eternal torment is true like orthodox Christianity says, which perspective is likely to "win" more souls to God? Which perspective on God would an unbeliever most likely want to serve and love? The one that is planning to damn you forever if you dont jump through all the religious hoops, or the one who loves you no matter what and wants to transform your life for the better? I would say the later, and that would probably explain the reason why I can talk to people about God and spirituality that before, would not be willing to hear me out. All too often, I hear other Christians say,Well everyone on earth has heard about Christianity!!!! They have no excuse!

Yeah, they've most all heard the "turn and burn" self-righteous, judgmental, homo-phobic Christianity, that has committed tons of atrocities supposedly in the name of Christ. Very few people have really heard of Christ and the perspective that God loves everyone where they're at unconditionally. And that's the perspective that will draw more people to Him if anything.

Lastly, I really like what Bishop Carlton Pearson said in his book The Gospel of Inclusion, on this very matter,I'd rather be wrong for overestimating the love of God, than underestimating it. I'd rather err on the goodness, greatness, and graciousness of God than the opposite.

As simple as this statement is, I couldn't agree more. It makes more sense in my mind to believe that God is much more compassionate and understanding than the kindest "Mother Theresa", than to believe he is more sadistic and merciless than the cruelest "Hitler". Ive thought about it several times, and I don't believe I could even go back to worshiping God from the perspective I once held. I have thought about it and examined it far too closely, for it to not make my stomach churn and make me feel depressed...hence what started this spiritual journey to begin with.

The god(yeah I'm not even going to capitalize it) of orthodox Christianity is one that wouldn't even be worth serving, if that were indeed his nature. As dangerous as it might be to say...I honestly would have no interest in worshiping a god so obsessed with his own cosmic ego, that he'd gamble the eternal destinies of mankind and torture billions of unfortunates for all eternity. I would have no interest in worshiping a god that allowed the world to be entrenched in sin and destruction, only to redeem a few undeserving souls...all in the name of so-called "justice". Such a god I could only fear and be terrified of. Such a god I could not love with all of my heart, soul and mind as the Bible commands. And I think if every Christian were deeply honest with themselves, they would come to a similar conclusion.

We have no real way of proving one way or the other, but I believe the Bible provides us with much evidence of Gods unfailing love...much of which I have been trying to share here. And I believe that is why God put me on this journey and has let my heart leap to the most astounding plateau of my faith I have yet experienced. I don't believe God would drop this in front of me only to raise false hopes and to coax me into some false sense of love for Him. Because He is not really cruel, and is far more loving and just than most give Him credit for. And when you put all of the Bible into transcendent, divine perception, I believe it is ever so clear and wonderful. That is the God I serve, that is the God I trust.

Now if eternal torment is true like orthodox Christianity says, which perspective is likely to "win" more souls to God? Which perspective on God would an unbeliever most likely want to serve and love? The one that is planning to damn you forever if you dont jump through all the religious hoops, or the one who loves you no matter what and wants to transform your life for the better? I would say the later,

I would say neither or the first.Try to convert an atheist with those arguments.ET? I won't bow to a maniac. (if He existed)UR? Great I'll just carry on and will see when I die. (if it's true)

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Well everyone on earth has heard about Christianity!!!! They have no excuse!

You can't deny even the most hardcore atheist knows about the Bible.

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Yeah, they've most all heard the "turn and burn" self-righteous, judgmental, homo-phobic Christianity, that has committed tons of atrocities supposedly in the name of Christ. Very few people have really heard of Christ and the perspective that God loves everyone where they're at unconditionally. And that's the perspective that will draw more people to Him if anything.

"Be fair and also add: And many know about the flood and Sodom.

Seems I'm in a extra sarcastic mood today

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1 Timothy 2:3-4 ...God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved...John 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous ...

1 Timothy 2:3-4 ...God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved...John 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous ...

* What if God does not exist? * What if Christianity isn't true, and Islam is? * What if life is really a complex computer program, and humanity is unknowingly enslaved by octopus-like robots? * What if there's tiny green aliens that live inside my body, where they have nightly disco parties?(that could explain my difficulties in sleeping, lol)

This is truly one of the funniest things I have read in a while. It really put a smile on my face.

NinjaWizards777

its not about "going with the best of odds" its about going with what I believe to be true based on the evidence given...I cant mentally commit myself to anything else

You cant force people to love God...a true conversion requires that you have a heart to follow him, not a fear that if you dont he'll eternally torture you...thats my point

I know God doesnt give up...my reason for bringing that up was simily to state the ET perception. Please read things more closely

I am being fair...most people reject Christianity because of the bad reputation many christians have made for it...not because they reject the life and teachings of Christ himself. People really need to seperate Christianity from Christ because I think its a spit in his face on many accounts

Ninja, you are right. The "what if you are wrong" question is really a question about your faith. They don't yet have faith in the truth about the end result, to them it is debatable and therefore that question is designed to test your faith by fear. But when God gives you faith in the truth that isn't shakable, the question becomes absurd. It's like asking Paul "what if you are wrong about Jesus?" How do you answer a question that assumes a possibility that the truth isn't true?

It's like if someone from the 12th century asks someone from the 21st century: What if you are wrong that the earth is a sphere? How do you answer that? I'm NOT wrong that the earth is a sphere.

Because of the way I came to it, though still true for any objective seeker, if Jesus is not the Savior of All then I've been deceived by the Bible.

And...I fell in love with God with genuine emotions, deep phileo, after I recognized that He wasn't The Supreme Perpetual Torturer and had spent time with the extent of His goodness, that He is genuinely good and I wasn't trying to futilely convince myself against the evidence.

I also was able to love people, where before, it was blocked. How can you keep loving those who God's knows are damned? It's too contradictory. Then too, how can you endure love for those you are unable not to love knowing they are damned if you don't realize God will perfect them if it takes a million years.

Now this love of God and mankind that was freed by the truth of the effectual redemption of all, each man in his own order, is no small and merely subjective thing. I believe it will make all the difference in the world, for God IS love. Without it we are kept penned, out of the finishing work that recreates us as Overcomers.

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I went to church; but, the Church wasn't on the program! JESUS WANTS HIS BODY BACK!! MEET WITHOUT HUMAN HEADSHIP!!!

its not about "going with the best of odds" its about going with what I believe to be true based on the evidence given...

Do you understand 100% of the evidence given?If not doesn't it automaticly mean that any choice is based of best odds?

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1 Timothy 2:3-4 ...God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved...John 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous ...

NinjaWizards777

its not about "going with the best of odds" its about going with what I believe to be true based on the evidence given...

Do you understand 100% of the evidence given?If not doesn't it automaticly mean that any choice is based of best odds?

No I do not...nor does anyone. My ultimate point being I can only make decisions off of what I see to be true...I cant make my decisions and beliefs off what I see to be false. Every human pretty much does this.

Bottom line im not going to force myself to "believe" and tell people that God will someday stop loving them and throw them in hell eternally...even though the possibility is he might not. No...im going to speak what I believe to be true and shown to me the best I can understand it...how would God expect me to do anything else?

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av602

If you are wrong, no one will be able to accuse you of loving God and His children out of a fear that you'll tortured for all eternity in real fire. Not true for others. Can you imagine having to defend your purported love for God as not being primarily motivated out of a fear of being sent to hell? What kind of love is that?

God alone knows the heart, and He is seeking those to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. If worship of God is based on a fear of going to hell, and hell/ET is false, then it is not a worship in Truth. Even if hell is real, your motivation for loving God is still not based on fear and therefore the existence of hell is irrelevant to whether you are worshiping Him in Spirit and Truth.

Oh but don't forget Tony B, God is both eternal and just, so sin apparently demands an eternal torture judgment for justice to be satisfied because "God cannot stand in the presence of sin." It's as if they think God created hell to protect his own purity. It's like they assume somehow sin is more threat to God's purity than God's purity is a threat to sin.

Do ETers consider the fact that when God says that he will not stand in the presence of sin, that SIN itself is to be destroyed BY God's purity?

I guess it goes back to the whole Lucifer theory about a good angel turned bad who defiled Heaven etc. It's a big twine ball of wrongness where all the false doctrines get tangled together.

Apperantly He found sub-contractors who can stand sin.Revelation 14:10 .... and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

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1 Timothy 2:3-4 ...God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved...John 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous ...

Tim B

Oh but don't forget Tony B, God is both eternal and just, so sin apparently demands an eternal torture judgment for justice to be satisfied because "God cannot stand in the presence of sin." It's as if they think God created hell to protect his own purity. It's like they assume somehow sin is more threat to God's purity than God's purity is a threat to sin.

Do ETers consider the fact that when God says that he will not stand in the presence of sin, that SIN itself is to be destroyed BY God's purity?

I guess it goes back to the whole Lucifer theory about a good angel turned bad who defiled Heaven etc. It's a big twine ball of wrongness where all the false doctrines get tangled together.

Oh but don't forget Tony B, God is both eternal and just, so sin apparently demands an eternal torture judgment for justice to be satisfied because "God cannot stand in the presence of sin." It's as if they think God created hell to protect his own purity. It's like they assume somehow sin is more threat to God's purity than God's purity is a threat to sin.

Do ETers consider the fact that when God says that he will not stand in the presence of sin, that SIN itself is to be destroyed BY God's purity?

I guess it goes back to the whole Lucifer theory about a good angel turned bad who defiled Heaven etc. It's a big twine ball of wrongness where all the false doctrines get tangled together.

ETers (at least Arminian) don't consider how their view makes God very weak. God's creation completely fails (Adam sinned, but God didn't really want him to). So God sends Jesus to cover man's sins. But it doesn't really work, as most reject Jesus. So what's the only thing left that God could do? Burn everyone who doesn't believe. God was backed into a corner. We made him do it. And its not just burn everyone to get rid of them (a.k.a. annihilation). No, its an eternal burning, to make a point of it. But God really is loving.

How many contradictions can you fit into one theology?

Then we have the Calvinists, who get some things right, but then go VERY wrong due to the belief in ET. Essentially: God is in complete control. So God predestines us all to sin, and then sends His son to save a few. The rest He planned to eternally burn. But God really is loving and just and fair. This proves it.

Now the interesting part about Calvinists - you will run into many who believe that God is in complete control, all things happen according to His will, man has no free will. They even say God predestines man to sin. Then they come to this startling conclusion: man's sin is his own fault. God had nothing to do with that. Huh? Can you say doublethink?

Forget the theology, lets at least try to be logical.

But they explain the "illogical" away as its "God's mystery" - we can't understand how God thinks... etc. Therefore it must be good to burn people eternally for something they had no chance of not doing (ie. sinning).

Tim B

LOL, yes, I meant Tim B, sorry. BTW, I was being ever so slightly sarcastic, in agreement with what you said.

lol No worries man!

On note of what you said, it made me think of this: is not sin, in comparison to God, as the creator of the beings that sin (and perhaps sin itself), infinitely smaller than God and His being of perfect, infinite, Love? Sin cannot honestly be suggested to hold any sort of hold on God whatsoever. God allowed it/brought it into being, and He can rid the world of it as He sees fit. Just as the world's inhabitants count as nothing against God (Daniel 4:35), so does the sins of this world count as nothing against God nor His ultimate will (the salvation of ALL men).

They still sell indulgences. Relics are hot. The whole thing is still going strong.

A not uncommon thing in mexico is you pay and pray and then receive a medal which, when the opportunity arrises, is given to the person with whom you want to "sin." It's a kind of invitation to already forgiven sin.

« Last Edit: June 19, 2009, 05:21:07 PM by reFORMer »

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I went to church; but, the Church wasn't on the program! JESUS WANTS HIS BODY BACK!! MEET WITHOUT HUMAN HEADSHIP!!!